The Delhi openers delivered when the team needed them most as they produced the best first-wicket partnership of the tournament so far by scoring 146 runs in just 11.3 overs and the team eventually posted the highest score of the season and third highest overall.
Virender Sehwag and David Warner cracked explosive half-centuries to power Delhi Daredevils to a mammoth 231 for four against Kings XI Punjab in their Indian Premier League clash in Delhi today.
The Delhi openers delivered when the team needed them most as they produced the best first-wicket partnership of the tournament so far by scoring 146 runs in just 11.3 overs and the team eventually posted the highest score of the season and third highest overall.
All the talk about the 'green' pitch, prepared to favour the hosts, was put to dust when the Delhi duo started wielding their bats as none of the Punjab bowlers was spared the brutal spanking at the Ferozshah Kotla ground.
Sehwag's 77-run knock came off 35 balls and had eight fours and four sixes while Warner took 48 balls for his 77, laced with 11 boundaries including four shots over the fence.
Venugopal Rao (28 off 15) and Naman Ojha (19 off 8) played some lusty shots in the end in the team's cause and also spoilt Ryan Harris' figures by taking 22 runs from his last over.
Praveen Kumar had an off day as he leaked 38 runs in his first spell of three overs, but Ryan Harris did trouble both the openers. Except for a short ball, which Warner smashed for a six over the mid-wicket, the Australian paceman hit the right areas.
Warner was aggressive right from the word go as he hit Praveen for two boundaries in the very first over of the match.
Sehwag did not have a convincing start but right after flicking Praveen for a mid-wicket boundary he got his touch back and then smashed the same bowler for two three boundaries in the fifth over.
Punjab skipper Adam Gilchrist brought in Shalabh Srivastava but the left-arm paceman ended up conceding 18 runs with Warner creaming him for a four and a six, propelling the score to 70 for no loss after the power-play.
Warner raised his half-century with a cracking mid-wicket six off Paul Valthaty and then team's 100 with a four two balls later, setting the stage for an exciting finish. He took just 29 balls to reach the landmark.
Sehwag hit his first six off Srivastava just after completing his fifty, which came off just 28 balls.
The Delhi marauder just got better and better as he welcomed David Hussey, playing his first game, with three massive sixes. The skipper perished while looking for his fourth consecutive six.
Delhi needed Warner to stay till the end but Praveen Kumar somehow made up for the poor first spell by having the Australian southpaw caught by Harris at long-on.
Yet, Venugopal and Ojha did well for the team, which is desperately looking for a win to bring their campaign back on track.
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